REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 177 



Which is the most profitable way of writing history ; whether to 

 give leading events grouped around dynasties or whether to picture the 

 people : the rise and fall of kings or the trials and triumphs of the 

 people? J. E. Green took a new departure in writing his Short 

 History : he determined to give the history of the people rather than 

 kings and royalties. And a fascinating book he wrote. There can be 

 no hesitation in deciding which is the more profitable. The knowledge 

 of the civilization of a people ; its progress in arts and culture are far 

 more educative than the knowledge of wars, the rise and fall of kings 

 and dynasties. The one is a matter of dates : the other of principles. 

 Even in dealing with dynasties a history of the causes that led to the 

 decay and overthrow of thrones are more profitable than the events 

 themselves. It is of little moment when this house disappeared and 

 another appeared : that in a sense is a personal matter but it is of 

 consequence to men to know why one failed and another succeeded. 

 That is to say the impulse and method of government. 



Mr. Bing in the early chapters does give us an insight into 

 qualities of government. He pourtrays the rise of institutions as well 

 as kings and gives us a peep into the fascinating picture of the early 

 life of the Chinese : the things that the sage-emperors did for the 

 land. It is a great idea that men have had of sage-emperors ruling 

 men in accordance with the principles of Heaven. Alas the world has 

 seen too little of it. For the most part China like other nations has 

 suffered from terrible bloodshed, resulting from the warlike pro- 

 pensities of individual warriors, or chieftains of strong clans, who 

 were ruled by the impulses of great ambition, to increase their own 

 domains and prestige. And it is one of the most appalling facts in 

 life to think what treasure, what valuable human talents, that might 

 be of incalculable benefit to the human race, have been ruthlessly 

 destroyed and the fair promise of god-given powers devasted in the 

 interests of a royal house. The rich endowments destined by a 

 beneficent Creator for the advancement of the race have been more 

 often than not cut off in their prime in the interests of wicked and 

 arrogant individuals. And we are witnesses to such a cataclysm 

 to-day ! As Carlyle said "God must needs laugh outright, could such 

 a thing be, to see his wondrous Manikins here below" ; it is probably 

 for this reason that Mr. Bing did not follow the promising beginnings 

 he made. Sage emperors disappeared and the course of history became 

 one of recapitulations of the wars of dynasties and royal houses. 

 Nevertheless we think he might and ought to have given us an ampler 

 account of Chinese institutions and the welfare of the people of which 

 for the time being he was custodian. For instance take the reign of 

 Kang Hsi. For the most part the narrative is one of wars and con- 



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